T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program - FEIS Chapters - PVD

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) EvaluationUnder NEPA, historical properties that are not eligible for listing in the NRHP, but are considered important tolocal history are protected, and the context and intensity of impacts must be evaluated. If the proposed actionresults in a direct impact on non-listed historical properties, it is considered significant under NEPA.5.8.2 Significance Threshold and Additional AnalysesThe analysis considers impacts of the No-Action Alternative and Alternatives B2 and B4 pursuant to FAAguidance, and also describes other analyses conducted to gain a full understanding of impacts to the historicalresources, architectural, archaeological resources, and cemeteries in the Project Area and Study Area.5.8.2.1 Finding: Significant Historic Resources ImpactSection 106 of the NHPA requires that the federal agency (in this case FAA) apply the Criteria of Adverse Effect(as defined at 36 CFR Part 800.5) to historical properties as a result of its undertaking. An undertaking wouldaffect a historical property if the action has the potential to alter its character-defining features, location, setting,design, workmanship, feeling, or association, that qualify the property for inclusion in the NRHP. Diminishingthe integrity of the historical property can occur through physical destruction of a property; alteration of aproperty; isolating the property from its surrounding settings or altering the characteristics of those settings;removal of a property from its location; transfer through a sale or lease that diminishes the long-termpreservation of the property; and introduction of incompatible elements that would diminish the integrity of theproperty (for example, atmosphere, visual, or audible elements). According to FAA Order 1050.1E, fornoise-related impacts to occur, a quiet setting (i.e., DNL below 60 dB) must be one of the recognizedcharacteristics making the property eligible for or listed on the NRHP.As required by 36 CFR Part 800, which governs the Section 106 consultation process, and as described inFAA Order 1050.1E, the FAA has consulted with the Rhode Island State Historic Preservation Office (RISHPO)and the Narragansett Indian Tribal Historic Preservation Office (NITHPO), as well as other appropriate entitiesduring the preparation of this FEIS, and has invited appropriate entities to be consulting parties. Consultingparties for the Improvement Program include the RISHPO and NITHPO. Refer to Chapter 8, Consultation andCoordination, for an overview of the consultation associated with the Section 106 process. The Advisory Councilon Historic Preservation (ACHP) determined that its participation in the Section 106 consultation process wasnot necessary (see Appendix C, Federal, State, City, and Tribal Coordination).Both Alternatives B2 and B4 would result in significant impacts to historical properties. Historical cemeteries areimportant elements of the historical past of local communities in Rhode Island and are protected under RhodeIsland General Law 23-18-11 et seq.; therefore, the direct (physical) impacts to Warwick Historical Cemetery 26(WHC 26) as a result of Alternatives B2 and B4 would be considered significant under NEPA. The limits ofWHC 26 (as shown in Figure 5-32) were confirmed between April 7 and 12, 2011 under Permit No. 2011-02issued by the RIHPHC on January 7, 2011. FAA has consulted with the above-identified parties to considermeasures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate the adverse effect to historical properties as well as the significantimpacts to historical cemeteries resulting in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), as required underSection 106, that describes the undertaking and stipulates appropriate measures to be taken to avoid, minimize,or mitigate the adverse effects to historical properties. The executed MOA has been submitted by the FAA to theChapter 5 - Environmental Consequences 5-172 July 2011\\mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH05_Environmental_Cons_JUL_2011.doc